Coin gauge



G. A. LONG Apri-121, 19%.

COIN GAUGE Filed May 27, 1955 a .lllll .a

Patented Apr. 2l, 1936 PATENT OFFICE COIN GAUGE George A. Long, Hartford, Conn., assignor to The Gray Telephone Pay Station Company, Hartford, Conn., av corporation of Connecticut Application May 27, 1935, Serial No. 23,723

4 Claims.

My invention relates to devices employed in connection with coin operated machines, and particularly telephone pay stations, for receiving theA coins which are deposited for the use of the machine, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a coin gauge that shall be light in construction, pleasing in appearance, and having characteristics enabling it to be rapidly produced. Y

One form of a coin gauge embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of my improved coin gauge.

Figure 2 is an end View of the same.

Figure 3 is a top view.

Figure 4 is a bottom view.

Figure 5 is a view in cross section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a similar view on a plane denoted by the dotted line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is another similar view on a plane denoted by the dotted line 'I--l of Fig. 1.

Figure 8 is a View in lengthwise section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 8-8 of Fig. 4.

Figure 9 is a similar view on a plane denoted by the dotted line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

While my invention is illustrated and described herein in connection with coin gauges used in telephone toll apparatus it will be obvious that it may be readily adapted to coin controlled aplparatus of Various sorts.

Coin gauges, so far as I am aware, have heretofore been made by casting processes and by stamping processes and, in any event, have been composed of a number of pieces. In the practice of my present invention I proposeto construct the coin gauge of a single piece of metal and I have arranged a process of casting whereby such coin gauges may be produced in a rapid and ei'cient manner.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral III denotes the body of the gauge having a ange I I at its lower edge provided with ears I2 with holes therein as a means for securing the device in place to an instrument in connection with which it is to be used. Coin openings I3-I4-I5 are formed through the front Wall of the body I 0 for the reception of coins, as twenty-five, ten and ve cent pieces respectively. The opening I5 extends from the face of the front Wall to a point quite close to the rear surface of the body, and as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. A ledge pressions.

I6 extends from the front wall of the gauge inwardlyv to. a point spaced from the rear wall of the opening I5, thereby creating a coin slot II extending from the opening I5 through the bottom of the gauge. 'I'his ledge is preferably of arcuate form and provides a portion of a chamber I8 underneath said ledge as well as underneath a similar ledge I 9 similarly formed and located underneath the coin opening I4, and as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawing. The ledge I9 terminates at a distance from the rear Wall of the opening I4 to create a slot 20 extending from the opening I4 to the bottom of the gauge. Holes 2| and 22 are formed through the rear walls of the openings I4--I5 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The coin channel from the opening I5 comprises the slot I1 and a passage formed by lips 23 on opposite sides of the passage, and the same structure is present as to the channel from the 20 opening I4 in which lips 24 are employed, and as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The shapes of the ledges I6 and I9 create recesses 25, 26 and 2'I in the ceiling of the chamber I8.

The coin slot 28 from the opening I3 is con- 25 tinuous to the bottom edge of the gauge, that is, the lips hereinbefore described with respect tothe coin passages from the openings I4-I5 are not present. This channel, however, has a back wall 29 spaced from the rear Wall of the gauge 30 thereby creating an extension 30 of the chamber I8 oITset from the main part of the chamber andv communicating therewith by means of the recess 21.

The bottoms of the several coin openings con- 35 ness and which has a back surface presenting an 45 even area to avoid all projections, humps, or de- The interior is chambered to provide lightness, this chamber extending from end to end and back of the bottom wall of a shallow coin opening. producing lightness in the: structure, and in extending this feature of chambering the body lips forming coin guides are provided.

Holes 3I registering each with the other are This chamber' is for the purpose of 5 formed through the wall 29 and the back of the 55 gauge, registering with the coin openings I3, these holes as Well as the holes 2I22 being for the purpose of receiving an instrument, as a lead pencil, for removingl a deformed or mutilated coin that may remain in the coin openings and not pass down the coin slots.

I claim:

1. A coin gauge including a body formed from a single piece of metal and comprising a back having an even outer surface with a shallow coin opening and a deeper coin opening in its iront face, and coin slots extending from the bottom of said openings to the bottom of the body, said deeper coin opening having a ledge creating an enlarged chamber underneath it, said coin slot being independent of said chamber although opening into it.

2. A coin gauge including a body formed from a single piece of metal and comprising a back having an even outer surface with a shallow coin opening and a deeper coin opening in its front face, said body being chambered underneath the deeper coin opening, said chamber extending continuously from underneath the deeper coin opening to a location behind the bottom of the shalloW coin opening, and coin slots extending independently of said chamber from the bottoms of said openings to the bottom edge of the body.

3. A coin gauge including a body formed from a single piece of metal and comprising a back having an even outer surface with a chambered coin opening and a deeper coin opening in its front face, said body being chambered underneath the deeper coin opening, said chamber extending behind the bottom of the shallow coin opening, and lips projecting into said chamber to provide a guide for a coin from the deeper coin opening to the bottom of said body.

4. A coin gauge including a body formed from a single piece of metal having coin openings in its front face, a plurality of said openings having ledges at their bottoms said ledges being of curved form to create a chamber underneath said ledges, and a chamber formed back of one of said openings which is shallower than the other openings, said chambers all communicating with each other.

GEORGE'A. LONG. 

